Improvement in portable fences



PATENT OEEIcE.

ADAM O. GILMORE, OF OENTRALIA, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PORTABLE FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 132,461, dated October 22, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADAM G. GILMORE, of Oentralia, in the county of Clinton and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Portable Fences, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention consists in a novel method of constructing and locking together a series of panels to form a portable fence, as hereinafter more fully explained.

Figure 1 is a top-plan view, and Fig. 2 a front elevation, of a couple of panels made and set up on my plan.

In constructing my fence I make a series of panels by taking a suitable number of fenceboards, m, and nailing across them two cleats, a, at one end, with a space between them, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, andv across the center another cleat, I). Then on the side opposite the cleats a, but near the other end, I nail another similar cleat or strip, 0; and on the extreme end of each board I nail a short cleat, 0, there being a little space left between these cleats c and e-the same as between the cleats a at the opposite endof the panel, and as shown in Fig. 1. I then provide a loose strip, 0, about as long as the panels are wide, and bevel its edges, as represented in Fig. 1, there being one of these loose strips for each panel.

Having done this I then proceed to set up the fence .by inserting the ends of the boards to which the short cleats e are secured through the space between the cleats a and between the boards of the adjoining panel, .as represented in Figs. 1 and 2. The panels are then spread out as far as possible, and until the ends of the boards of panel A look against the edge of the inner cleat a, the ends of those on panel B at the same time bearing against the cleat c, as shown in Fig. 1, when the loose strip 0 is inserted between the edge of the outer cleat a of panel B and the corresponding edge of the cleats e, thereby locking the panels firmly together. The beveled form of the strip 0 prevents it from dropping or falling out, although fitted loosely enough to permit it to be lifted out by the hand when it is desired to take down the fence for removal.

By these means I am enabled to construct a very simple, cheap, and efiicient fence-one that can be made entire, ready to set up, and that can be shipped or transported with convenience, and that can be set up anywhere Without the use of nails, pins, or tools of any kind after it is once made.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim' is A portable fence, consisting of a series of panels formed by uniting a number of boards, by means of the cleats a a, d, and 6, arranged as described, with the locking beveled-edged strip 0, all as herein set forth.

, ADAM O. GILMORE.

Witnesses JAMES ARNOLD, J. L. JOHNSON. 

